Wed May 15 2:01pm ET
Field Level Media
Christmas Day for NFL marketing and ticket sales departments finally arrived Wednesday with the release of the 2024 season schedule.
With subplots and peripheral angles multiplying before our eyes - hello, Netflix, welcome to NFL holiday football broadcasts - Field Level Media's football-minded contributors assembled the top 25 games of 2024.
24. Cardinals at Jets, TBD: We're grabbing our popcorn for one matchup, and one matchup alone: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. Top five draft picks likely to be near the top of the pecking order at their position for a decade.
23. Colts at Patriots, TBD: Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, meet Anthony Richardson, drafted fourth overall in 2023. Indianapolis appeared to have a hit on its hands before Richardson was shut down to undergo shoulder surgery. If he can stay healthy and Maye isn't relegated to clipboard duty behind former Colts starter Jacoby Brissett, we're eager to make early evaluations of purported franchise QBs.
22. Jaguars at Eagles, TBD: Young QBs and strong pass rush are common bonds, sure, but the plotline we're looking at is the reception for Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson. He played for the Eagles (1999) but was essentially a coach-in-training for Donovan McNabb, then served as an assistant for Andy Reid and came back from a stint in KC for a five-year run that included a Super Bowl.
21. Bears at Texans, TBD: The Bears also get a meeting with the Carolina Panthers for the second consecutive season. With all due respect to Panthers 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, the top rookie quarterback last season was Houston's C.J. Stroud. His numbers would have been the best ever single-season passing total for a Bears QB (4,108 to Erik Kramer's team record of 3,803). Stroud had 26 TD passes including the playoffs despite missing time with a concussion). The Bears hitched their wagon to No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with the rookie carrying massive talent - and expectations - in Year 1.
20. Vikings at Giants, TBD: All of the QB uncertainty one can handle on the undercard, LSU products Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Malik Nabers (Giants) in the main event.
19. 49ers at Seahawks, TBD: Maybe you overlooked it. There's not a chance Brock Purdy did. He knows new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald's defense - that of the Ravens - had him seeing ghosts in a five-interception laugher on Christmas Night last season. Macdonald's new club has a bunch of cross-training chess pieces determined to unseat the 49ers from the NFC West perch.
18. Jets at 49ers, Sept. 9: Week 1 on "Monday Night Football" is a familiar refrain for the Jets, who are hoping Aaron Rodgers has some magic left following a season-ending injury four snaps into his first start with the team in 2023. Rodgers is local - Chico, Calif., Butte JC and Cal - and went 6-3 against the 49ers with the Packers. Now 40 years old, he'll try to tip the scales toward the Jets, who are 3-11 all-time in the series with San Francisco. Jets head coach Robert Saleh has known 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan since breaking into the NFL as a low-level assistant with the Texans 15 years ago and was defensive coordinator on his staff before taking over with the Jets.
17. Cowboys at Commanders, TBD: Dan Quinn gets his second chance as a head coach in Washington and to be the champ in the NFC East, he'll have to take down his previous employer and boss, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy. Given the amount of time Quinn spent with McCarthy and Dak Prescott, don't discount the level of concern the Cowboys have entering two games with Washington.
16. Eagles vs. Packers (Brazil), Sept. 6: The youngest roster in the NFL last season belonged to the Packers, and nobody can fault what Green Bay did in the offseason. Head coach Matt LaFleur debuts his offense with Josh Jacobs at running back and a new-look defense. It'll also be a big reveal game for the Eagles, unleashing their own big-ticket offseason item, Saquon Barkley, and a number of new faces on defense.
15. Falcons at Vikings, TBD: Welcome back, Kirk Cousins, congratulations on finding a team that didn't want to invest in a young quarterback to insure its $100M guarantee to a 35-year-old starter coming off an Achilles injury. Oops. Cousins could be hailed or hated for bailing on the Vikings in free agency following 50 regular-season wins in six seasons of Skol-ing.
14. Ravens at Chargers, TBD: Los Angeles and new hire Jim Harbaugh welcome John Harbaugh and the Ravens with entertainment expected to be rich before, during and after a matchup of AFC heavyweights. John Harbaugh won the last meeting and survived a brief power outage at the Super Bowl in New Orleans to take home the Lombardi and deal Jim's 49ers a painful defeat.
13. Steelers at Broncos, Week 2: Revenge games bring out the spirit and emotion you might not otherwise find in games that don't include Mike Tomlin. Pittsburgh picked up Russell Wilson after he was scrapped at a cost north of $80 million to Denver by second-year head coach Sean Payton. Payton, of course, is still in town and brought in a rookie, Oregon's Bo Nix, to train in the system that helped make Drew Brees a legend. Don't look now, but Pittsburgh had a sneaky excellent offseason while the Broncos shed leaders and linchpins on both sides of the ball (Wilson, Justin Simmons, Jerry Jeudy). If reunions are your thing, Payton also heads back to New Orleans this season.
12. Jets at Bills, Week 17: We know they'll get an earlier go at each other on "Monday Night Football" In October, but let's give the season time to breath and Aaron Rodgers time to round back into form. He'll be recently removed from his 41st birthday but should know the names of all of his wide receivers, a task Josh Allen might need more time to complete.
11. Ravens at Cowboys, TBD: Dak Prescott was great at home last season and Dallas fortified the offensive line through the draft. Whether new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has an answer for mobile quarterbacks - namely Lamar Jackson - might be the hot-button issue for the Cowboys. Baltimore's No. 1-ranked defense in 2023 also traveled well last season, battering Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert and limiting those three teams to a combined 36 points in Ravens' road wins.
10. 49ers at Packers, Nov. 24: Week 12 and the start of a pivotal, NFC-dominated, primetime featured stretch for Green Bay with nighttime marquee matchups at Detroit (Week 14) and Seattle (Week 15) ahead. Jordan Love's two interceptions stopped the Packers short of an upset at San Francisco in the divisional playoffs in January.
9. Texans at Cowboys, TBD: C.J. Stroud appears to be special and the Texans made sure his supporting cast wouldn't be a reason for a sophomore slump. But one warning: only the Bills and Patriots have a more difficult schedule based on 2023 results and offseason moves. Among the appealing underlying matchups: Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs vs. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.
8. Bears at Packers, Jan. 5: The Week 18 finale was meaningful for Green Bay last season, and Jordan Love guided the Packers into the postseason to sweep the Bears and continue the trend Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers started. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams makes his first foray into the likely frozen tundra. Will the Bears be playing for more than a spoiler token?
7. Dolphins at 49ers, TBD: It was Dec. 4, 2022, and far more meaningful than we knew at the time when a seventh-round rookie - 49ers QB Brock Purdy - made his first career start with two TD passes in a 33-17 home win over the Miami Dolphins. Back to the scene come the Dolphins with former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel a solid bet to share some unknown intel about old boss Kyle Shanahan in the game week buildup.
6. Ravens at Chiefs, Sept. 5: Had this one been bumped back a couple months to multiply the meaningfulness in the standings and AFC playoff picture, it had an angle on a top three game of the 2024 regular season. Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes remains must-see for all the right reasons.
5. 49ers at Bills, Dec. 4: The week-after-Thanksgiving primetime game on Sunday of Week 13 should be meaningful for teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
4. Rams at Lions, TBD: Two franchises on schedule to combine for more than $350 million in deposits into Jared Goff's bank account are back at it with Detroit out to duplicate their playoff win in January over one-time Lions QB Matthew Stafford.
3. Ravens at Eagles, TBD: Star power on display? Check-check. Potential Super Bowl preview? Sure thing. Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Derrick Henry (Ravens) add firepower to a pair of offenses with explosive potential.
2. Lions at 49ers, TBD: Other than tackle eligible, think of another phrase that could spike Dan Campbell's temperature more than "at San Francisco." Didn't think so. The Lions were halfway to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl leading the 49ers handily in the NFC Championship but coughed up a 17-point lead and bowed out of the playoffs in a 34-31 defeat instead. If Campbell circled this game on the schedule in ink, we're guessing you can't read it.
1. (tie) Chiefs at 49ers, TBD: Familiar enough to be rivals, the Chiefs left with the jewels in recent games that really mattered between teams with a combined 50-18 record the past two regular seasons. San Francisco took a lashing from the Chiefs, 44-23, at home in Oct. 23 before the dawning of the Brock Purdy era.
1. (tie) Bengals at Chiefs, TBD: Don't forget Joe Burrow, he's more than the highest-paid player in 2024. The Bengals quarterback is 3-1 against the Chiefs but was sidelined with a broken wrist when the teams played in 2023. Don't look for a warm reception in Kansas City, where fans aren't soon to forget Burrow's boys calling the Chiefs' stadium "Burrow-head" based on his success at the home of Patrick Mahomes.
Dynasty | The Commanders have signed running back Chase Edmonds. Dynasty Analysis: Edmonds and Demetric Felton both worked out for Washington today and it was Edmonds who gets the contract. He didn't play last season after last playing for the Bucs but has always offered some juice in the passing game. There could be some short-term appeal here eventually should the platoon of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols fail to impress but Edmonds is more name than game at this point and not worthy of a roster add quite yet.
Dynasty | Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is dealing with a knee injury and could miss this week's game. Dynasty Analysis: While this doesn't look like anything catastrophic, Daniels has had a bit of a slow start to the season, throwing for just 433 yards and three scores with a completion percentage down 6% from last season in two games. There's no need to panic here but dynasty managers will need to see more to keep him in the truly elite group of quarterbacks moving forward.
Dynasty | Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy has a high ankle sprain and will miss 2-4 weeks. Dynasty Analysis: McCarthy suffered the injury last night and it apparently felt worse this morning. It's of little surprise with him essentially running for his life most of the night as the Falcons laid siege to the Vikings porous offensive line. Carson Wentz will take over for a stretch here and McCarthy will need to get better and show more than he has in the first few weeks to make dynasty managers feel better about his future.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington had a highlight reel play in Week 2 against the Patriots, returning a punt for a 74-yard touchdown. The second-year receiver finished with only one catch for two yards on two targets and added three carries for 23 yards as well. In a positive sign for his future production, Washington's snap percentage increased from 58% in Week 1 to 61% in Week 2, while the rest of the periphery receivers all saw their snap counts drop. Washington is clearly the third receiver behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and he could continue to work his way into a larger role in an offense searching for answers after a 0-2 start. One important factor to watch this week with Washington, though, is that he did show up on the injury report with a thumb injury and was listed as a limited participant on Monday's practice estimation. If he plays on Thursday against the Bills, he has dynamic upside as a playmaker, so keep an eye on his status this week.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane remains an elite running back option for fantasy football every week despite his team's struggles on offense. The Dolphins didn't open much space for Achane in Week 2 against the Patriots, and he only managed 30 rushing yards on 11 carries. No worries, though! Achane is heavily involved as a pass-catcher and hauled in eight of 10 targets for 92 yards and his second receiving score in as many weeks. Achane is an elite PPR producer in Miami's system, and he has a good matchup on Thursday night against the Bills. Despite his team's drama, offensive struggles, and 0-2 record, Achane is a must-start in all formats every week.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II only had one carry in the Dolphins' Week 2 loss, and his snap share dropped from 25% in Week 1 to 12% in Week 2. To further complicate Gordon's future opportunities, Jaylen Wright (knee) is back to limited participation in practices, which could give him a chance to return this Thursday against the Bills. With Gordon already in such a small role and Wright's return pending, it looks safe to drop Gordon for now in standard leagues. He's still holdable in deep leagues as a handcuff for De'Von Achane since he showed so much upside in the preseason, but Gordon seems a long way from making an impact in Week 3 against the Bills, or for the foreseeable future.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill turned the page after a disappointing Week 1 with a big Week 2. He only had four catches for 40 yards in the season-opening loss to the Colts, but against the Patriots, he posted 109 receiving yards by catching six of his seven targets. Tua Tagovailoa was more aggressive passing the ball down the field, especially late in the game, but Tua missed Tyreek on a play that could have kept the game-winning drive going. There continues to be plenty of drama with Hill in Miami, but at least with his performance, we know he still has the ceiling to be a productive receiver going forward. This week, he and the 0-2 Dolphins play on a short week against the 2-0 Bills on Thursday Night Football.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders running back Raheem Mostert is once again a healthy scratch for Week 2 in a Monday night matchup against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. Mostert was also a healthy scratch last Sunday in the season-opening win over the New England Patriots. The 33-year-old is buried on the Raiders' RB depth chart early in the year in his first season in Vegas. The Raiders will roll with rookie starter Ashton Jeanty, Zamir White, and Dylan Laube as their top three RBs. Until further notice, Mostert should remain on the waiver wire in all fantasy formats. He's just a year removed from his first Pro Bowl selection in 2023 with the Miami Dolphins, when he produced a career-high 1,012 rushing yards and a league-high 18 rushing touchdowns in 15 starts. Mostert had only 278 rushing yards and two TDs last year, though, and has had trouble staying healthy in his career.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. turned in a modest outing in his team's 29-28 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 2. After an encouraging Week 1 that saw him catch six balls for 80 yards and a touchdown, Pittman caught four of his five targets for just 40 yards against the Broncos. Of course, Pittman had to contend with lockdown corner Patrick Surtain II for much of the afternoon, which may have led Daniel Jones to look elsewhere when he dropped back to pass. With a Week 3 road matchup against the Tennessee Titans, Pittman is likely to operate as a decent WR4 with upside moving forward.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) is officially active for Monday night's divisional clash in Sin City against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Bowers suffered a knee injury in the Week 1 win over the New England Patriots and was listed as questionable for Week 2 on Saturday's final injury report. The 22-year-old second-year tight end will be wearing a brace on his left knee against the Bolts and shouldn't be limited, so fantasy managers who rolled the dice on him on Monday night will have him available. If Bowers is limited at all, it will open up more opportunities for fellow TE Michael Mayer, who is more than capable of having a decent game for any tight end streamers. Bowers had five catches for 105 yards in the season opener before injuring his knee, and he's already one of the best TEs in football in his sophomore campaign.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren continued to show he's a focal point of the team's offense in a 29-28 Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos. Warren caught four of his seven targets for 79 yards while taking one carry for no gain in the close win. The rookie tight end is off to a torrid start to his NFL career, compiling 11 catches on 16 targets for 155 yards thus far. Warren is safe to treat as a solid, mid-range TE1 in fantasy leagues going forward. He will look to continue his hot start in Week 3's road matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs disappointed in Week 1, catching just two passes for 12 yards in a win over the Miami Dolphins. Fortunately for his fantasy managers, Downs looked more like his usual self in Week 2, hauling in six of his eight targets for 51 yards against the Denver Broncos. With the Indy offense humming along with Daniel Jones under center, Downs should continue to string together productive fantasy outings, especially in PPR leagues. He should be treated as a high-end WR3/flex option heading into a Week 3 road matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is off to a decent, yet unspectacular, start to the 2025 season. Through two games, Jeudy has caught nine of his 16 targets for 117 scoreless yards as the Cleveland offense has struggled mightily thus far. The veteran's receiving yardage is good enough to lead the Browns so far, showing just how much moving the football has been an issue. Jeudy will look to break out at home in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers have been tough on defense thus far, as they shut down the Detroit Lions' receivers in Week 1 and gave up just 92 receiving yards and a touchdown combined to Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel in Week 2. Jeudy is looking like a WR4 in fantasy unless the Browns can straighten out their offensive issues.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman continued to show a nose for the end zone in his team's lopsided Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Tillman was mostly quiet, but he salvaged his afternoon with a fluky 18-yard touchdown grab to finish with a two-catch, 22-yard line in the loss. The veteran wideout has now scored in each of his two games to open the season, as he has carved out fantasy value as a flex/WR4 type in leagues. Tillman will hope to keep it going in a tough Week 3 home matchup against the Green Bay Packers, but fantasy managers might want to temper expectations due to the difficult matchup.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is off to a slow start in 2025. After his four-catch, 40-yard performance in a lopsided Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Njoku has just seven catches for 77 scoreless yards through two games. Meanwhile, fellow Cleveland tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has officially become a concern for Njoku's fantasy managers as the rookie has outproduced the veteran with 12 catches for 111 yards. Njoku is likely to bounce back, although a struggling Cleveland offense led by an ineffective Joe Flacco doesn't offer much hope for upside. Njoku will hope to get his season on track in Week 3 against a Green Bay Packers defense that has given up big games to Sam LaPorta (six catches for 79 yards) and Zach Ertz (six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown) this season. Njoku is worth a look as a low-end TE1 in fantasy thanks to the favorable matchup in Week 3.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins made his long-awaited NFL debut in a Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Judkins was initially only expected to play a handful of snaps, but he ended up handling 10 carries for 61 yards while adding three receptions for another 10 yards while relegating Jerome Ford to a backup role. The rookie running back should continue to see a larger role in the Cleveland backfield going forward after missing all of training camp. A Week 3 home matchup against the Green Bay Packers will be a tough test for the Cleveland offense, but Judkins is looking like a solid, high-end RB3 heading into that contest.
From RotoBaller
While Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said he's not concerned about the amount of targets that second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. gets, he knows that his being involved is what is best for the offense. "I know he's got to touch the football for our offense to play at its premium," Gannon said. Harrison had five catches on six targets for 71 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints, but he caught only two of five targets for 27 yards in the Week 2 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Cardinals got out to a big early lead and took their foot off the gas pedal in an eventual 27-22 win, so Harrison wasn't really needed. Harrison and quarterback Kyler Murray reportedly worked on their chemistry this offseason, but it hasn't looked great through two games. Fantasy managers will be expecting a bounce-back game in Week 3 against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle) injured his ankle in the Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and will be evaluated day-to-day through this week, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. It's been one thing after another for Jennings health-wise since offseason workouts, when he suffered a calf injury. The 28-year-old missed most of training camp and all of the preseason after aggravating his calf issue before injuring his shoulder in the season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks. The good news is that he looked healthy and operated as the WR1 on Sunday against the Saints, catching five of 10 targets for 89 yards and his first touchdown of 2025. Jennings will at least be in play as a WR4/flex if he's active in Week 3 against the division-rival Cardinals, but if he's out or limited, Ricky Pearsall would be the top target for quarterback Mac Jones.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 23 of his 33 pass attempts for 298 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans. The veteran signal caller was quite productive on the road, finishing just a couple of yards away from a 300-yard, two-touchdown performance. He put together this dominant showing despite Los Angeles leading for more than half the game. In a situation where some teams might run the ball more, Stafford was still given an opportunity to rack up passing yards. He also did so against a solid Titans pass defense that intercepted Bo Nix twice just one week earlier. Stafford's lack of rushing upside is unfortunate, but fantasy managers should rest assured that there's no concern about Los Angeles deviating from a pass-heavy approach while leading in future weeks. He's firmly in the mid-range QB2 conversation for Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
From RotoBaller
Although Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (hip) is not expected to make his debut with the team in Week 3 on Thursday night against the division-rival Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins listed him as limited on Monday's practice estimation. Waller has yet to practice this year and has been inactive for the first two weeks, so his limited status on Monday doesn't mean a whole lot on a short week. The 33-year-old was focusing on his conditioning for all of training camp and the preseason before suffering a hip injury right before Week 1. Whenever he is finally cleared to make his 2025 debut after coming out of retirement, the Dolphins will likely limit his snaps, making him one to avoid in starting fantasy lineups. The Dolphins are expected to move forward with Julian Hill and Tanner Conner at the position on Thursday, but neither TE is a realistic fantasy play.
From RotoBaller